The Savage Pilgrimage

Catherine Carswell (1879-1945), the novelist and biographer of Burns, was also a regular reviewer of new fiction in her early career. She became convinced that D. H. Lawrence was a great writer when she reviewed his first books, made his acquaintance, and became a lifelong and faithful friend. When John Middleton Murry's Son of Woman appeared shortly after Lawrence's death, Catherine Carswell was stung by its assumption that Murry understood Lawrence's 'case' and had explained it in his book. The Savage Pilgrimage was written partly in reply to Murry. Since it took angry exception to his criticisms, Murry thought it libellous, took legal action, and had it first suppressed, and then expurgated. This is a reprint of the original edition of 1932. The book survives the controversy with Murry: it was the first substantial biography of Lawrence, written by a close friend from direct knowledge, full of first-hand information, very sympathetic and understanding.